Telephone system.



'. E.. SUMMERS.

TELEFHQNE SYSTEM.

-aPPLIcATIoX FILED JUNI: 2'2, 1912.

E. E. SUMMBRS.-

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHEBT 2.

C--V V5.3

FRANK EZRA SUMMERS, OF MEMPHIS, MISSOURI.

` TELEPHCNE SYSTEM.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. i1, 1914i.

Application led .Tune 22, 1912. Serial No. 705,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, FRANK E. SUrrMERs, citizen of the United States, residlng at Memphis. in the county of Scotland and.

improvements in telephone systems. and the object of my invention is to provide a telephone system by means of which a subscriber may ring or talk in one direction only or in both. as preferred.

t A further object of my invention is to provide a telephone system including a plurality of stations and line sections connecting eachA stationwith the stat-ions next adjacent upon either side, the wiring and switches being so arranged that the subscriber may cut the line in such a manner as to prevent all communication from stations at one side of the line, while receiving communications from the other side.

A further object of my invention is to so wire the system that when talking upon one section, the signaling mechanism is always in circuit with the other section.

Tith these and otherobjects in view. my invention will be more fully described. illustrated in the drawings, and then specifically pointed out inpthe claims Ywhich are attached to andv form a `part of this application. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved telephone system, two stations being shown; Fig. 2 is a.

front elevation of the device which is `at tached to the ordinary telephone to accomplish the objects set forth above, the wiring of the devicebeing shown diagrammatically; Fig. 3` is a fragmentary front eleva! tion of a telephone instrument, showing my device applied` thereto; Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views on the lines t-4 and5-5 of Fig, 2. showing details in the construction of the switch employed in my device.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all thc views ofthe drawings by the same reference characters. y.

The preferred embodiment ofniy invention includes a base or support 10. which is prefer-ahh7 formed of wood, and which issecured in the manner shown, to the side of a conventional telephone instrument having a receiver hook 12 which extends beneath the lower end of the support. when the latter 1s in place. Secured to thc upper end ofA this support, are binding` posts 13 and 14 to which th-e line wires are attached, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and binding posts 15 and 16 from which conductor wires lead to the telephone instrument and to the calling mechanism, as will also be explained. Electrically connected to the binding posts 13 and 1li, is a lightning arrester 17 of the usual or any preferred type.

Mounted upon the` support 10, is a knife switch. designated as a whole by the numeral 1S and including contact members 19 and 20 and the pivoted blade 21. The contact member 19 includes a metallic plate 22 secured to the support 10 and a second metallic plate 23 hingedly secured by its lower end to the plate The free end of this second plate is perforated to receive a set screw 2i which passes through the plate, through the end of the blade 21 of the switch. through the plate 22 and into the support 10. A helical spring surrounds this set screw bearing between the head of the screw and the plate 23. By this means.

the knife blade of the switch is7pivotally mounted between the plates 22 and 23 and frictionally engaged therebetween by the tension of the spring` 25.

The contact member 20 includes plates 26 and 27. hinged together in like manner, the free end of the plate 27 being` bent outwardly into spaced relation to the plate 26. as shown, to provide for the reception of the blade 21 of the switch, the plates being held yieldably into engagement with each other by a set screw 28 and spring 29. This switch is normally maintained 'in closed position by means of a helical spring 30. one end of which is secured to the switch blade and the other end of which is secured to a screw 31 carried by the support 10. The free end of this switch blade extends a considerable distance beyond the contact member 20 and is cut-away to form a shoulder 32 which. when the switch is opened, is engaged by the downwardly depending hoo-k 33 of an auto-1y matic catch 34 having a weighted end 35 which causes it to .swing into engagement with the switch blade. This switch is manually opened when the telephone is being used and in order to provide means for automatically closing the switch upon the hanging lio up of the receiverI have provided'adink 36 provided adjacent its upper end with a longitudinally extending slot 37 throuvh which is assed a pin 38 carried by t e switch bla e 21. The-'lower end of this link 36 is shaped as at 39 to engage loosely about the shank of the receiver hook in such a manner that when the switch 21 is closed and the 'receiver hook is down, the hook will bear against the lower side of the loop 39 while when the'receiver hook is up, the switch still being closed the hook will bear against the upper side of the loop. It will therefore be seen that when the link 36 is manually raised to open the switch 18, the receiver being 'off the hook, and the hook consequently in raised position, the receiver hook will seat in the lower end of the slo-t 40 of the link. The link is provided intermediate its length with a knob 41 by means of which it may be readily moved and its upper end with spaced pins 42.

The catch 34 is provided with a forwardly directed arm 43 which'bears between the pins 42, as shown, in such a way that upon the raising of the link to open the switch,

'the catch 34 is automatically swung into position to engage with the switch blade. Upon the returning of the receiver to its hook, a downward movement of the hook immediately draws the link down and the uppermost of the pins 42 engaging against the arm 43 ofv the catch swings the latter out 4of engagement with the switch blade permitting the spring 30 to close the switch. The slot 37 inthe link permits the necessary downward movement of the link 36 independent of the switch blade to cause the release of the catch 34.

Mounted upon the support 10, preferably below the switch 18, is a double pole changing switch 44 including the swinging switch blades 45 and 46 connected by an operating handle 47 and pivoted to contacts 48 and 49. The free ends of these switch blades engage with the contacts 50 and 51 or the contacts 51 and 52 dependent upon the position of the switch.

A conductor wire 53 connects the binding post 13 with the contact 20. of the switch 18, while the conductor wire 54 connects the binding post 14 with the contact 19 of saidswitch. A conductor wire 55 connects the contact 2O of the switch 18 with the contact 50 of the pole changing switch, and a conductor 56 connects the contact 22 of the switch 18 with the contact 51 of the pole changing switch` while a conductor wire 57 connects the contacts 50 and 52 of the pole changing switch. A conductor wire 58 connects the contact 49 of the pole changing switch with the Abinding post 15,l while a conductor wire 59 connects the contact 48 of the pole changing switch with the binding post 16.

Referring more specificallyv toY the diagrammatic View of the telephone system, shown in Fig..1 of the drawings, in which Aand B indicate adjacent stations upon the line and C the sections of line wire connecting the stations, the operation of my system will be more clearly understood. In this view a suitable signal device, shown in the form of an electrically operated bell, is

arm, intermediate its length, is a ro-d 64 to which are pivotally connected the free ends of a plurality of pivoted switch bars 65, 66

and 67, each of which forms one member ot a switch, the other members of which consist of contacts 68, 69 and 70, respectively. These switches are so arranged that when the receiver is upon the hook, the' switch bar 65 is in operative position, while the remain ing switch bars are inoperative, while when the receiver hook is raised, the switch" bar 65 is inoperative and the switch bars .66 and 67 are in operative position.

The conductor wire 63 from the bindingV post 15 is connected to the switch bar 65, while a conductor wire 71 connects the contact 68 with one of the line wire sections C.

The conductor wire 72 connects the binding post 16 with the contact 69, while the conductor wire 73 connects the switch bar 66 with one `terminal of the secondary coil 74 o' the induction coil 75, the other terminal of which is connected by the conductor wire, 76 to one of the binding posts of the re-- ceiver 77, the other binding post of which is grounded, as at 78. 1

A conductor wire 79 connects theswitch bar 67 with the transmitterSO, while a conductor wire 81 connects the transmitter with a terminal of the primary coil 82 of the induction coil, the other terminal of which is connected with a suitable source of electrical energy 83 by a conductor wire 84.v A conductor wire 85 connects the battery or other source of energy83 with the contact 70. Each instrument is also provided with a suitable calling device comprising a magneto-'generator 86, one pole of which is connected by a conductor wire 87 with the con-1 and the switches 18closed. It will be seen vthat the line is closedat each station lnot only through the switch 18, but also providing the switch 44 is in the lefthand posiinnemen tion, through the .switch Now if any' `party .on :the lime `operates .th'e -generator A86,

assumed-thatstationA calls station iB. llhe party` at station B upon hearing ythe :signal lremoves his 'a'eceiver from fthe hook, thereby opening x.the .switch and .responds to the party at station A who yhas also removed :his lreceilver fopening 1the switch 65 at .that station. It will sbe .seen that :the voperation ofthe system is identical with yitsfcustomary I yuse andmhatother` parties upon sthe line may callor:listen over the line in't-hensual manner. 'Suppose however, .that fuponfremov- .ing the receivers from the .hooks-fthe parties at the stations :also openithe switchen-18.4 It Y)will be apparent 4that all stations, other .than those betweenstations A .and B, 'will be -cut out-and will be unable to-hear what isibeingsaid overthe wire. iIt-Will thereforebe seenlthat for adjacent stations this system will [furnish absolutely private communica# tion. l In this .latter case itis :necessarythat- =the lperson being called `swing the vpole changing switch 44 Avfrom one side to the other to determine from which directionlthe call iscoming. For instance, supposing the pole changing switch 44 of station Bl was bridging the contacts 49, 50 and 48, 51,- yrespectively, when station A called; the cur` rent ofethe talking circuitjset up in the sec-- -ondary coil .74 of station A would pass :through 'the receiver hook controlled switch 66, conductor 72, contacts 48, 51, conductor 56, :andconductor 54 of station A, line C, conductor 53, conductor y55 and .contacts 49, '50 of station B, and would notl pass :to vthe receiver of the telephone in- -strument at station B. The party -at said station upon listening would therefore vlind. xthatahe was not connected upon the line and would swingthe pole changing switch to the position shown, when the current would pass from .the contact 50 through the conductor 5.7, through `the contacts 48, 52, conductor 59, conductor `72 and switch 69.

With a system of this type, which absolutely cuts out all stations other than those in connection with each other and .stations between such stations, it is absolutely essen-z tial that other stations be able to call those' -stations which are in communication in case of extreme necessity vand so get permission to usethe line. I have provided for thisby Y soarranging-the vpole changing switch and the wiring of the signaling mechanism that. when stations are'talking over one line .sec-y tion their Signaling mechanisms are in .cip cuit over .the other line section. stance, assuming that A and Bare in'com`- munication Witheach other and the station.. to the right of A wishes to getthe line. If the `generator is operated, the current willi pass over the. line-l sachen...Y vConductor.55, intactsr 49and- 50= 0 58 imdlonductor i62;.0f..StetQ1.1.

l,bell at said station and so, indicate t at closing Iwere dependentwhollympon "-h other. Party :desires tlf .11satl1e lies-1.: eratorat station A canilthenqeither i 01.' @15 Swing hispolechanglng, s tch; to

bring himself yini :ommurlctll ...the @he calling -stationtowiind -outwhet the maty ter 11s important, lor not.';.,f1n' .mannen 75 stations,"I to the left ljot.station can call stationd, although any ,stationsbetweenfthe two vcannot ,ca-ll either fstationf unless switch 18 -is closed. gi, ,l 2g i. As `will lbe readily `apparent.it tisof the ,30

Lgreatest; importance that ,the switche'sfllS shall be closed when 4the stations. are `,notgifn l communicationfas otherwise certain lstations on .the Vline would be .cut out 4olli.commiinlioa- L A tion.` It is for this reasonithatg-Lhav- Apno- .g5 videdithe link connection between Athereceiver hook andtheswitch 18.1..-.Itis alsorfor this reason, in order to absolutely; `insure ,the .effective closing of the switch, athat -1-. .have L yprovided the spring 3010" close fthe-switch, 9 0 lthus doing away -withany imperfecticlosing of theswitch, such as -mightbethecase .iitits weight of the receiver ,uponfitsfhdokr ma. t

From the :foregoing descriptiona it will be 9 5 apparent that I havefprovideda simple'iand effective telephone system, and one'lwhich may be adaptedfor .use f'with. the vv.Various forms of systems now infusefwithlbut,slight modifications. TheI link.36 ,is 'preferably 100 formed in two Aparts -fwwhich .arci-insulated y from each other to preventthei current passing from the switch blade. 2l .toathezrec'einerag hook l2. Also in practice the pentiregdevice is `preferably covered by.:asluitablehl basing having slots through which they handlfeiof the pole changing switch andrthelrnobeofthe -link36 project. This casing,4 for thersakezjof La clearness, has been `omitted `from the drawings. It will furtherlbe'notedthatatheigen- 110 erat-or is always in `the talking.zcircuittalndra 4person can therefore callf Qin. the directionain which he wisheszto talk afterthe. switclr-18 -isvopened and theope-n switch lSHWillanot lpermit the signals being transmitteduinr-the 1,15

opposite direction, the calling-:to yawc'er extent being thereforelselective'. mi. .1 a

kIt will `be understood lthat thefe'n'tiret-'d'evice may be inclosed withinf the casingrot' the telephone instrument proper ifdesiredgfsuit- .120 VVable slots forthe passageof theswitch-peating handles being. --provided vtherein: 'A `Having thus describedthelinventiong'what tain 1. `In aI telephone system; comb with a plurality oit:telephone-instruii nts each including a receiverandgreceiyerf-heck:

a -transrnit ter anda signaling =r`neclifanisn`ft of iii a line -including sections leadingfrom one instrument to the next, and .means `for con- 13o necting the receiver and transmitter in circuit with one section of the line and the signaling mechanism in circuit with the opposite line section, said means including means movable manually to active position after release of the receiver hook and automatically movable to inactive position upon depression of the hook.

2. In a telephone system, the combination with.- a plurality of telephone instruments,

each including a receiver and receiver hook, a transmitter and a signaling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, and means for selectively connecting the receiver and transmitter in circuit'with either line section and the signaling mechanism in circuit with the opposite line section, said means including means manually movable into active position after release of the receiver hook and automatically movable into inactive position upon depression of the hook.

3. In a telephone system, the combination ,with a plurality of telephone instruments, each including a receiver, a transmitter, and a signaling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, a switch normally connecting the line sections, conductors leading from said switch .to the instrument, and a pole changing switch included in said conductors.

1. A telephone system including a plurality of telephone instruments, a switch carried by each instrument,.line sections connecting the switches of each instrument with the switches of adjacent instruments, conductors connecting the switch of each instrument with its instrument, and means releasable upon the depression of 'the receiver hook of the instrument for automatically closing said switch.

5. In a-telephone system, the combination with a line divided into sections, of a telephone instrument located between adjacent sections and including a transmitter, a receiver, a receiver hook and a signaling mechanism, all normally in circuit with both sections when the receiver hopk is free, and meansA for opening the circuit between the transmitter and receiver and one of the sections and between the signaling mechanism and the other section. Y In a telephone system, the combination with a line divided into sections, of a telephone instrument located between adjacent sections and including a transmitter, a receiver a receiver hook and a signalin mechanism, all normally in circuit with bot sections when the receiver hook is free, and means for simultaneously opening the circuit between the receiver and transmitter and either one of the sections and between the signaling mechanism and the other section. 7. In a telephone system, the combination a, line divided into sections, of a tele-- phone instrument located between adjacent sections and including a transmitter, a receiver a receiver hook and a signaling mechanism, all normally in circuit with both sections when the receiver hook is free, means for opening the circuit between the receiver and transmitter and one of the sections and between the signaling mechanism and the other sections, and means for reversing said open circuits.

8. In a telephone system, the combination with a line divided into sections, of a telephone instrument located between adjacent sections and'including a transmitter, a receiver a .receiver hook and a signaling mechanism, all normally in circuit with both sections when the receiver hook is free, means for opening the circuit between the receiver and transmitter and one of the sections and between the signaling mechanism and the otherV section, and means operable by the depression of the receiver nook of the instrument for closing said open circuits.

9. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of telephone instruments, each including a receiver, a transmitter and a signaling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, a switch normally connecting the line sections exterior to the instrument, conductors leading from said-switch to the instrument, a pole changing switch' included in said conductors, and means operable by the depression of the receiver hook of the` instrument for automatically closing said first mentioned switch.

10. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of telephoneinstruments, each including a receiver, a receiver hook, a transmitter and a signaling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, a switch normally connecting the line sections, a pole changing switch, conductors leading from the first switch to the pole changing switchv1 conductors leading from the pole changing switch to the instrument, means for normally 'holding the first mentioned switch in closed position, and means for holding said lswitch when 4in raised position.

1l. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of telephone instruments, each including a. receiver hook, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, switches normally `closing the line circuit at each instrument,

means opera-blc" upon the depression of the receiver` hook to automatically close said first mentioned switch.

12. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of telephone instruments, each including a receivinghook, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, a switch at each instrument normally connecting the line sections and including a swinging switch blade, a, spring for normally holding said blade in operative position, a catch for holding said blade in raised position, `and means coacting between the receiver hook and catch to release the catch upon the depression of the receiver hook.

13. In a telephone system, the combination with a line divided into sections, of a telephone instrument located between ad- ]acent sections, a switch carried by saidin-' strument, the line sections being connected to said switch, a pole'changing switch carried by said instrument, conductors connecting the first mentioned switch with the pole changing switch, a transmitting and receiving circuit formed through thel pole l changing switch, a signaling circuit formed through saidpole changing switch, means for holding the lirst mentioned switch in open position, and meansoperably by the depression of the receiver hook for automatically closing said first mentioned switch.

14. In a telephone system, the combina.- tion with a plurality of telephone instruments, each including a receiver, a transmitter, a signaling mechanism and a calling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, means included in each section and independent of the instrument for connecting the receiver, transmitter and calling mechanism in circuit with one section of the line, and the signaling mechanism in circuit with the o posite section or all in circuit with both sections.

l5. In a. telephone system, the combination .with a plurality vof telephone instru- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ments, each including a. receiver, a transmitter, a' signaling mechanism and a calling mechanism, of a line including sections leading from one instrument to the next, means for selectively connectingthe receiver and transmitterin circuit with either line sec-- tion, the calling mechanism being included in said. circuit, and means for connecting the signaling mechanism in circuit with the op?- posite line section or the receiver, transmitter and signaling mechanism all in circuit with both sections.

16. In a telephone system, the combination with a line dividedv into sections, or" a telephone instrument located between adjacent sections and including a transmitter, a receiver, a receiver hook a signaling mechanism and a calling mechanism, all normally in circuit with both sections when the receiver hook is free, and means for opening the circuit to put the transmitter, receiver, and the calling mechanism in circuit with one of said sections and the signaling mechanism in circuit with the other section.

17. In a .telephone system, the combination with'a line divided into sections, of a telephone instrument located between adjacent sections and including a transmitter, a receiver, and a calling' mechanism, all in branches of one circuit, and a signaling mechanism in another circuit, and means for selectively connecting either of said circuits with either of the line sections and the other circuit with the remaining line section or both circuits with both line sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK EZRA suivnunns. [ha] i Witnesses:

Lois JoNns, H. H. JONES.

:Vive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

